The California Riverside Ballet would like to congratulate Darci Kistler, CRB Honorary Board Member, and Stephanie Saland, Ballet Mistress for CRB’s annual Nutcracker, on the honor of being recipients of the 2011 Jerome Robbins Award.  The Jerome Robbins award will be presented on stage at the New York City Ballet on September 30, 2011.

“We are grateful to Peter Martins and New York City Ballet for hosting the Robbins Award on stage that evening,” says Christopher Pennington, Executive Director of The Jerome Robbins Foundation and The Robbins Rights Trust (http://jeromerobbins.org).  ” We are especially honored that Chita Rivera, whose Broadway work with Jerry is legendary, will present the awards.”

The dancers receiving the Award are:

Helene Alexopoulos, Alexandra Ansanelli, Merrill Ashley, Yvonne Borree, Maria Calegari, Suzanne Farrell, Judith Fugate, Jillana, Allegra Kent, Gelsey Kirkland, Darci Kistler, Maria Kowroski, Sara Leland, Lourdes Lopez, Kay Mazzo, Patricia McBride, Yvonne Mounsey, Kyra Nichols, Jenifer Ringer, Melinda Roy, Stephanie Saland, Margaret Tracey, Violette Verdy, Heather Watts, Miranda Weese, and Wendy Whelan.  Melissa Hayden, Nora Kaye, Tanaquil Le Clercq, and Janet Reed will be recognized posthumously.

In 1970, Jerome Robbins, a preeminent figure in the dance and theater world, established The Jerome Robbins Foundation with the intent to support dance, theater and their associative arts.  Following the outbreak of AIDS, Mr. Robbins directed the Foundation’s resources almost exclusively to addressing the AIDS crisis.  Before his death in 1998, Mr. Robbins expressed his wish that the foundation again extend its resources to the performing arts — dance and theater especially, but not exclusively — including what developed into The Jerome Robbins Award.

“I would like there to be established a prize to some really outstanding person or art institution,” explained Mr. Robbins in 1995.  “The prizes should lean toward the Arts of dance and its associative collaborators but not necessarily be defined by that surround.”  Mr. Robbins cited many callings, from teachers and designers to choreographers and presenting organizations, enjoining the directors to award the prize only when warranted by the distinction of the person, organization, or project.  Past recipients of the award are Jennifer Tipton, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Twya Tharp, Robert Wilson, New York City Ballet, Brooklyn Academy of Music and San Francisco Ballet.